Tuesday, 30 April 2013

As we have witnessed in the 11th episode of Zyuden Sentai Kyoryuger, Amy teaches Utsusemimaru about the present time. In the upcoming episodes, she continues to teach him, while keeping a cold front to the others! Meanwhile, here are the episode titles for the month of May.

Brave 12: Attack! The King and I - 05/05While cheering on young boy Tsuyoshi at a Children's Day sumo tournament, Debo Tangosekku attacks, and during the attack, Utsusemimaru sees someone from his past in Tsuyoshi's actions. This also marks the debut of Raiden Kyoryuzin.

Manga Entertainment confirmed the following in its latest podcast.
- There has been a change of plans for the 'Complete' Blu-ray box-set of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood Complete Collection. It will now be split into two parts, with the first released on May 27 carrying the first 33 episodes of the series. The second part will be released on October 14. Part one will be packed with a box that can hold both halves of this edition. Mazandarani apologised to fans affected by the change, but said "There has been no (Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood) complete series box-set for Blu-ray made available in Japan yet, and we are contractually not allowed to release anything in the UK before it has come out in Japan." (The individual Blu-ray volumes of the series are not affected.)- The Naruto spinoff feature film Naruto Shippūden: The Will of Fire will be released on DVD and Blu-Ray on August 12. On the same date, there will also be a Naruto Shippūden movie Trilogy pack, containing The Will of Fire together with its predecessors, the first Naruto Shippūden film and Naruto Shippuden: Bonds.- Manga is in "advanced negotiations" to acquire Hellsing Ultimate parts 9 and 10.- The DVD release of Cat Planet Cuties has been moved back to July 8, due to a technical issue with the English subtitles.- Mazandarani also commented that he did not think Manga would pick up the TV version of Gintama, based on the sales of the feature film version.

Campaigners are renewing their efforts to save film studios that have close links to Doctor Who.

Bray Studios, near Maidenhead in Berkshire, are probably most famous for the Hammer horror films that were made there, including some starring Peter Cushing, but they have also hosted TV work as well as band rehearsals.

The now-dilapidated site, owned by showbusiness agent Neville Hendricks, is set to be turned into seven executive homes but the Save Bray Studios campaign, headed by Robert Simpson, aims to halt the bulldozers in their tracks.

Simpson told Doctor Who News:

Over the years the studios have been home to hundreds of films, television productions, including model work for Doctor Who, and music. They are now set for demolition and conversion into housing following a successful planning application, but the campaign is looking into halting this and exploring any options that would allow them to continue functioning as studios.

Director Terry Gilliam and Rocky Horror's Richard O'Brien have now lent their support publicly, and other big names are in the wings.

Journey to the Centre of the TARDIS had an Appreciation Index, or AI score, of 85.
The Appreciation Index or AI is a measure of how much the audience enjoyed the programme. The score, out of a hundred, is compiled by a specially selected panel of around 5,000 people who go online and rate and comment on programmes.

Doctor Who scored higher than most of Saturday's output. The highest scoring programmes of the day were Casualty with 87, Dad's Army with 88 and Law and Order with 89.

Monday, 29 April 2013

On Monday April 29, Manga Entertainment is releasing the third volume of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood on Blu-ray, containing episodes 27 to 39 of the series.
This release marks the resumption of Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood on Blu-ray, following a hiatus of more than two years. In December 2010, Manga announced it was cancelling the series on Blu-ray after two volumes, citing poor sales as the reason.

In December 2012, the company announced it was now able to complete the series, due to a lower Minimum Order Quantity sales requirement. (The series has been released in full on DVD.)
Volume 4 of the series is scheduled on Blu-ray in May, and Volume 5 in June. June will also see the release of a Complete Series Blu-ray set. The new individual volumes will have an SRP of £29.99 each, £5 less than the previously released volumes

YouTube is celebrating the Golden Week holidays in Japan with 10 days of streamed concert footage and other programs. From Saturday, April 27 to Monday, May 6, "YouTube Music Week" is streaming videos from 16 musical acts.

A representative of StudioCanal told the following:
- From Up On Poppy Hill (pictured) is scheduled for a U.K. cinema release on August 2. According to the rep, "It will probably primarily be the English dubbed (version) with just 1 or 2 (screens) doing the Japanese dub." The English dubbed version features a cast including Gillian Anderson, Jamie Lee Curtis, Beau Bridges, Christina Hendricks, Ron Howard, Chris Noth, Aubrey Plaza and Anton Yelchin.- The StudioCanal rep also said there will be a cinema release of the 1988 Ghibli films My Neighbor Totoro and Grave of the Fireflies, to celebrate their joint 25th anniversary. The re-release will be "in cinemas nationwide on May 24." No further details were given, although at least one venue has already scheduled the films - Dublin's Irish Film Institute is screening them from May 24 to 30, with listings for My Neighbor Totorohere and Grave of the Fireflieshere.

Doctor Who was third for the day, beaten by the usual suspects for the evening. Its final quarter hour overlapped the day's highest-rated show Britain's Got Talent on ITV, which was top for the day with 9.3m (9.8m with +1) watching, capturing a 43.9%(46.4%) share of the audience. The BBC's talent show, The Voice, on later in the evening, was watched by 8.0 million (35.5% share).

Final ratings will be released next week, which normally sees a substantial increase in Doctor Who's audience once those who timeshift the programme are factored in

BBC Books has released details of the forthcoming adventure Harvest of Time featuring the Third Doctor and the Master as well as UNIT.

Announced in July 2011, it has been written by Alastair Reynolds, who won a British Science Fiction Association award in 2001 for his novel Chasm City.

After billion of years of imprisonment, the vicious Sild have broken out of confinement. From a ruined world at the end of time, they make preparations to conquer the past, with the ultimate goal of rewriting history. But to achieve their aims they will need to enslave an intellect greater than their own . . .

On Earth, UNIT is called in to investigate a mysterious incident on a North Sea drilling platform. The Doctor believes something is afoot, and no sooner has the investigation begun when something even stranger takes hold: the Brigadier is starting to forget about UNIT's highest-profile prisoner. And he is not alone in his amnesia.

As the Sild invasion begins, the Doctor faces a terrible dilemma. To save the universe, he must face his arch-nemesis – the Master.

The 386-page book, which has an RRP of £16.99, will be published on Thursday 6th June and is available to pre-order.

Reynolds gained a PhD in astronomy and worked as an astrophysicist for the European Space Agency before becoming a full-time writer. His book Revelation Space was short-listed for both the Arthur C Clarke and BSFA Awards, while House of Suns was short-listed for the Arthur C Clarke Award.

Sunday 28th April sees the broadcast of two four-part Tom Baker stories, The Robots of Death (1977) and City of Death (1979) on Australian and New Zealand television. The two stories, screened back-to-back, are the 17th and 18th instalments in the 50th Anniversary season of Doctor Who stories on the UKTV channel.

The stories are scheduled in New Zealand at 2:30pm and 4:10pm, and in Australia at 2:30pm and 4:30pm respectively. New Zealand has an additional screening on Monday 29th April at 2:20am and 4:00am.

The Robots of Death was first broadcast in Australia in 1978 and in New Zealand in 1979. Both countries saw City of Death in 1980.

The UKTV billing describes the stories as follows:

The Robots of Death The Fourth Doctor & Leela land in the cargo hopper of a sandminer, whose crew are being murdered one by one. Suspicion falls on the two visitors, but they are freed by Poul.City of Death The Fourth Doctor & Romana sense that someone is tampering with time. Who is the mysterious Count Scarlioni? & how many copies of the Mona Lisa did da Vinci paint?

UKTV is showing stories throughout the year in the lead-up to the anniversary in November. The Robots of Death and City of Death are the last in a set of six stories featuring Tom Baker's Doctor broadcast during April.

May will see the release by AudioGo of the next encounter for the Doctor in their ongoing 50th Anniversary series Destiny of the Doctor, this month reaching his fifth incarnation. Meanwhile, the latest audio adaption of the Target novelisations takes listeners on a trip to Peladon with the Third Doctor. Plus, readers also enter our competitions to be in with a chance to win copies.

Destiny of the Doctor: Smoke and MirrorsStarring Janet Fielding, with Tim Beckmann

The Doctor answers a psionic distress call sent from England in the 1920s. There, in the environs of a fairground, he is reunited with an old friend: Harry Houdini. To Adric and Nyssa the name means very little, but to the Doctor's companion Tegan he is a legend. Escape artist extraordinaire, Houdini's reputation will last for decades. But how does Houdini know so much about Tegan herself? Is it really just guesswork, as he says? Is Houdini right to be concerned about the fairground's fortune teller, who claims to have supernatural skills? Both he and the Doctor suspect an alien influence may be at work.

What neither the Doctor nor his friends realise is that, somewhere in the shadows, a sinister and all too familiar presence is lying in wait for them...

Doctor Who: Smoke and Mirrors (Destiny of the Doctor 5) is an original adventure by Steve Lyons, a prolific writer of Doctor Who fiction, and is available as a CD or download from 2nd May. It’s performed by Janet Fielding, who played Tegan in the original TV series, and Tim Beckmann. The series is produced for AudioGO by Big Finish Productions.

Win Smoke and Mirrors:

To be in with a chance to win one of three copies of Smoke and Mirrors courtesy of AudioGo, answer the following question:

As mentioned above, Harry Houdini is an old friend of the Doctor's, and he recently featured in a festive online tale alongside the Eleventh Doctor - what was the name of that story?

Please send your answer to smoke-competition@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "Now get out of that!", along with your name, address, and where you saw this competition. Only one entry is allowed per household. The competition is open worldwide, and the closing date is the 5th May 2013.

Doctor Who and The Curse of PeladonWritten by Brian HaylesRead by David Troughton

When the TARDIS materializes on the primitive planet Peladon, the Doctor and Jo become embroiled in political machinations. What is the secret behind the killings on the planet, and how are his old enemies the Ice Warriors involved?

Again, the terrifying cry rang out. The Doctor quickened his pace along the gloomy tunnels of the castle. Suddenly, from the darkness lumbered the mighty Aggedor, Royal Beast and Protector of the Kingdom of Peladon! The Doctor fumbled in his pocket. Would the device work? As he trained the spinning mirror on the eyes of Aggedor, the terrible claws came closer and closer...

What is the secret behind the killings on the planet of Peladon? Is Aggedor seeking revenge because the King of Peladon wants his kingdom to become a member of the Galactic Federation? Will the Doctor escape the claws of Aggedor and discover the truth?

Doctor Who and the Curse of Peladon is Brian Hayles’ complete and unabridged novelisation, first published in 1974 by Target Books. It is read by David Troughton, who played King Peladon in the original BBC TV episodes. It is based on the original 1972 TV serial of the same name, featuring the 3rd Doctor (as played by Jon Pertwee). Doctor Who and the Curse of Peladon is available as an audiobook from AudioGO, on CDs or as an audio download, from 2nd May.

Win The Curse of Peladon:

To be in with a chance to win one of three copies of The Curse of Peladon courtesy of AudioGo, answer the following question:

David Troughton played Peladon in the tale, but this wasn't his first appearance in Doctor Who - name his first role.

Please send your answer to peladon-competition@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "By the spirit of Aggedor!", along with your name, address, and where you saw this competition. Only one entry is allowed per household. The competition is open worldwide, and the closing date is the 5th May 2013.

In addition, AudioGo have also released an audio adaptation of the latest adventure for the Eleventh Doctor, Plague of the Cybermen:

Plague of the CybermenWritten by Justin RichardsRead by David Warner, with Nicholas Briggs as the Cybermen

When the Doctor arrives in the 19th-century village of Klimtenburg, he discovers the residents suffering from some kind of plague - a 'wasting disease'. The victims face a horrible death - but what's worse, the dead seem to be leaving their graves. The Plague Warriors have returned ...

The Doctor is confident he knows what's really happening; he understands where the dead go, and he's sure the Plague Warriors are just a myth. But as some of the Doctor's oldest and most terrible enemies start to awaken he realises that maybe - just maybe - he's misjudged the situation.

Win Plague of the Cybermen:

To be in with a chance to win one of three copies of Plague of the Cybermen courtesy of AudioGo, answer the following question:

Plagues, viruses and Cybermen go hand-in-hand, but in which story did they spread 'infection' through the use of sugar?

Please send your answer to plague-competition@doctorwhonews.net with the subject "You know our ways!", along with your name, address, and where you saw this competition. Only one entry is allowed per household. The competition is open worldwide, and the closing date is the 5th May 2013.

Friday, 26 April 2013

Anime on Demand is now streaming the opening episodes of both Red Data Girl and Date A Live. The first two parts of each series are linked from the site's front page. Like AoD's other acquisitions this season, the series are being streamed free.

Ben Beevers, the son of the lateCaroline John, is fundraising in his mother's memory:

Last year, Caroline John - who played Liz Shaw, the Third Doctor's assistant - passed away after a long battle with cancer. During her illness Caroline and her family received amazing support from the Princess Alice Hospice.

On 4th August 2013 her son, Ben Beevers, will be cycling the London-Surrey 100 (a 100-mile cycle ride through London and Surrey!) for Help for Hospices in memory of Caroline.

Ben said:

The Princess Alice Hospice cared brilliantly for my Mum and this care allowed her to spend more time with us as a family and come back home in the final few weeks. We will always be grateful for those last days with Mum and so we are attempting to raise money for the hospices, particularly Princess Alice's. We want to give something back and continue to give others the support they need at the most difficult of times, making the unbearable that little bit easier.

If you can spare anything please visit Caroline John’s Just Giving page, or you can text MUMM71 (followed by the amount you want to donate, e.g. £5) to 70070

Thursday, 25 April 2013

Steven Moffat says we'll finally see the resolution to several of the story arcs that he has tantalized us with since the beginning of his era.
"There's often an element of throwing in some lovely names, and then figuring it out later, but I've always had a sort of plan for the Doctor and Trenzalore," he said in DWM.
"Things will be resolved.

Things I've left hanging in plain sight – and sometimes not in plain sight – will be tied up…I feel as though we’re going to deliver. We've only just finished shooting the actual completed ending – it's ridiculously secret – but it's quite a thing, hopefully."

Big Finish have released details on a special Companion Chronicle for the 50th Anniversary:

In November 2013, Doctor Who celebrates its 50th anniversary. As part of the celebrations, Big Finish is releasing The Companion Chronicles – The Beginning, which tells the very first Doctor Who story ever!

When the First Doctor and his grand-daughter Susan escape through the cloisters of Gallifrey to an old Type 40 Time Travel capsule, little do they realize the adventures that lie ahead… And little do they know, as the TARDIS dematerializes and they leave their home world behind, there is someone else aboard the ship. He is Quadrigger Stoyn, and he is very unhappy...

The Beginning stars Carole Ann Ford as Susan, and Terry Molloy (who also played Davros in the classic TV series) is Quadrigger Stoyn. The script is by Marc Platt, who has written many Big Finish audio plays and who also wrote Ghost Light for the Seventh Doctor and Ace on TV.

The BBC have launched a new Doctor Who related competition for schools, this time focussing on creating music for the show; winners will hear their compositions at the Doctor Who Prom this summer.

The competition is being run in conjunction with BBC Learning and BBC Proms, the aim of which is to produce a new soundtrack for one of the 'clean' clips provided from last Christmas's The Snowmen. It is open to UK secondary school pupils in two categories, aged 11-14 and 15-16, and entries are to be judged by a panel of music education experts appointed by BBC Proms. Winners are to be judged based upon these criteria: Musical idea, Originality, Creative use of soundtrack methods, and Interpretation of action through soundtrack.

BBC Learning have run Doctor Who related competitions for schools over recent years, with their Script to Screen initiatives resulting in the production of minisodes Death is the Only Answer in 2011 and Good As Gold in 2012.

BBC Books is to bring out a fact-filled Doctor Who publication next month. Entitled Who-ology: Doctor Who - The Official Miscellany, the 384-page hardcover book, compiled by Cavan Scott and Mark Wright, will be available from Thursday 2nd May.

Do you know your Sontarans from your Silurians? What are the 40 best ways to defeat a Dalek? What are the galactic co-ordinates of Gallifrey?

Test your knowledge of the last Time Lord and the worlds he's visited in Who-ology, an unforgettable journey through 50 years of Doctor Who.

Packed with facts, figures, and stories from the show's entire run, this unique tour of space and time takes you from Totter's Lane to Trenzalore, taking in guides to UNIT call signs, details of the inner workings of sonic screwdrivers, and a reliability chart covering every element of the TARDIS.

It also includes tables, charts, and illustrations, as well as fascinating lists and exhaustive detail.

Scott has written books, audio dramas, and comics strips based on series including Doctor Who, The Sarah Jane Adventures, Skylanders, and Judge Dredd. He has also written about the Doctor's adventures in Doctor Who Magazine and SFX.

Journalist and author Wright, who is also a regular contributor to DWM, has written audios, short stories, and comic strips featuring new adventures for the Doctor, along with tie-ins to other series such as The Sarah Jane Adventures and The Power Rangers.

The adventure saw the Doctor regenerate into his sixth incarnation, played by Colin Baker, and today the BFI revealed that the story picked to mark the Sixth Doctor's era will be The Two Doctors, to be shown on Saturday 15th June at 2pm.

The three-part adventure, written by Robert Holmes, co-starred Patrick Troughton as the Second Doctor and was first broadcast in 1985, pitting both Doctors against the Sontarans. It also saw the return of Frazer Hines as Second Doctor companion Jamie. Location filming was carried out in Spain.

BFI Champions and members are entitled to priority booking for the event, whose guests will be announced nearer the time, but because of the overwhelming popularity of the Doctor Who At 50 season a ballot system will be in operation once again for tickets. Two ballots are being run - one each for Champions and members - via e-mail to memberballot@bfi.org.uk. Champions can enter from Monday 6th May, while members can enter from Tuesday 7th May. Champions can enter both ballots.

The ballots will close on Friday 10th May and will be run over the weekend of 11th and 12th May, with all entrants being notified on Monday 13th May as to their success or failure. Any tickets that have been reserved for Champions and members through the ballot will be held until 8.30pm on Friday 17th May, and those left unclaimed will be released for public sale on Saturday 18th May.

However, on Wednesday 15th May the official Doctor Who Facebook page will have a small number of tickets set aside for purchase by members of the public, whereby people will have to correctly answer a question to be in with a chance of booking.

Although all the celebratory screenings have been immediate sell-outs, returns and stand-bys are a strong possibility, so if all else fails do keep checking with the BFI!

Wednesday, 24 April 2013

The U.K. concert debut of the Japanese technopop group Perfume on July 5 will now be held at the 02 Shepherd's Bush Empire, with further seats available. Additional tickets will go on sale at 9 a.m. on Friday 26 April; at present there are links here and here.

The performance was originally planned to be held at the smaller 02 Academy Islington venue. All tickets purchased for this performance are valid for the changed venue. For ticketholders unable to attend the new venue, refunds are available from point of purchase. (The 02 Academy Islington has a capacity of 800, whereas the 02 Shepherd's Bush Empire has a capacity of 2,000.)

As previously reported, Splendid Chaps is a year-long performance/podcast project to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Doctor Who hosted by comedian Ben McKenzie (Dungeon Crawl, Melbourne Museum Comedy Tour) and writer John Richards (ABC1 sitcom Outland, Boxcutters podcast)Described by its creators as part intellectual panel discussion, part nerdy Tonight Show, Splendid Chaps is a combination of analysis, enthusiasm and irreverence. The first episode went to number 1 on the iTunes TV & Film Podcast chart in Australia, and to number 4 in the UK. The podcasts to the first few episodes are now available at www.splendidchaps.com or at iTunes.Tickets are now on sale for their 5th Doctor show!OnSunday May 19they’ll be celebrating the era of the5th Doctor, the cricket-and-celery-lovingPeter Davison, and exploring the notion of Fear in Doctor Who. When is Doctor Who scary, and why? Guests will include comedianTegan Higginbotham(from comedy duoWatsonandThe Comedy Channel’sWhatever Happened To That Guy?) and horror authorNarrelle M Harris.That’s atThe Public Bar, 238 Victoria Street, North Melbourne, at 5pm.Splendid Chaps: A Year Of Doctor Who: "Five: Fear"Space:The Public Bar, 238 Victoria Street, North MelbourneTime:Saturday 19 May 2013, 5 PMAccessibility:This venue is wheelchair accessible.Tickets:All tickets $15 (plus booking fee where applicable)Bookings:viatrybooking.com, or buy tickets at the door (subject to availability)Podcast:not yet available, released 23 May 2013.